Fostering inclusion by empowering individuals often overlooked by society, to rescue and care for animals

Anna volunteered in Belgium in 2003 for 12 months at the 'Opvangcentrum voor wielde dieren een vogels' in Oostende. The project focused on building a sustainable society by fostering inclusion for individuals often overlooked by society, through rescuing small mammals and birds.

🎤 What has been the most memorable or impactful moment from your volunteering experience — something you will never forget?

"The most memorable things from my volunteering experience were the people and the culture. I discovered that despite different cultures, origins and backgrounds we were all basically the same. So different yet the same. This has been a mantra throughout my adult life and has shaped how I meet other people. It has given me lots of friends all over the world. This year my host family from my European Voluntary Service year is coming to spend Christmas with my family, we are still in touch after all these years!"

🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life?

"It has contributed quite lot. My year of volunteering, however cheesy it sounds, changed my direction in life and helped open my eyes to a different way of living. The friendships I got through my year in Belgium has stuck with me since then, and I’ve travelled around the world with my friends and the people. My volunteer year deeply inspired me and has also affected what I do for work now. It all started back then, the inspiration."

🎤 Why do you believe volunteering is important?

"Volunteering is important because it is the single most effective way to break down stigma and help people realise that we all want to live a good life, with friends and family around. Especially now in the geopolitical chaos that is hitting Europe, and especially the north where I live, we need more warmth, more understanding and less cultural barriers. To get this, we have to have informal platforms like volunteering, to break down all our prejudice and meet people where they are at."

Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026